I like your writing.

I made a similar observation recently:

I was scuba diving one time and the seas got very rough. I started to get seasick. Some of the other divers on board, the "helpers," tried to convince me to go on the next scheduled dive.

They started telling me stories about the times they got seasick, how they were worse than I was, how they were puking all over.

They gave me great tips like, "you know, you can puke through your regulator and it will still work."

I had to waive them off, tell them to stop!!! I said, "do you really think your puke stories are helping me feel better???!!!"

Sometimes listening to stories about people who are worse off than you, or people just trying to help, doesn't cut it; it makes you feel worse.

_____

So, I'm a guy; we don't do bubble baths but I think you are on to something ;-)